8.11.17

Inside the Dreaded Igwebuike Forest In Imo Where People Are Murdered And Buried

A
Chief priest, from Awarra, Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo
State, Mr. Okoro Ogbuji, who alleged that cult gangs were after his
life.

You must be prepared before going into Igwebuike forest in Awarra,
Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, one of the chief
priests in the area, Mr. Okoro Ogbuji, told South-East Voice. Sometime
ago, it was the story of a 63-year-old woman, one Mrs. Ogo Omeriji, said
to have been kidnapped, murdered and buried in the said Igwebuike
forest.

This was after the suspected kidnappers allegedly collected
N500,000, as ransom. The ugly incident took place in December, 2015.
About a year later, it was another tragic event, in which one Stanley
Eluwa Ihechika, aged 24, a motorcyclist, was lured into the Igwebuike
forest by suspected cult members, killed and buried in a shallow grave.
His remains were exhumed in October, 2017.

Kidnap syndicate

Omeriji died in the hands of those suspected to be her nephews, a
three-man kidnap syndicate, while Eluwa was killed by a suspected
five-man gang, in which an 18-year-old boy, Bobo John, had been arrested
by the Imo Police Command who led the Police team to Igwebuike forest,
where they exhumed the carcass.

The forest is known by some villagers as a hideout for criminals,
secret cult members and where unreported atrocities had been committed. A
dangerous forest, only the brave, they say, can attempt to cross but
not without expecting possible attacks. For some people, at about
06:30pm, villagers who have one thing or the other to do within the
Igwebuike forest, would have to suspend their engagements for a safer
time, for security reasons.

One of their reasons was that at night, they usually hear sounds of
gunshots coming from the Igwebuike forest. Most worrisome was that the
agrarian settlement, perhaps has been turned into a war zone by rival
cult groups; a situation, which may have discouraged farmers from
producing foods.

Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area is known for cultivation of
cassava and production of garri. It is said to be at the top in garri
production, among the 27 local government areas in Imo State. In fact,
some describe Ohaji /Egbema as the food basket of Imo State.

Another worrying dimension as explained by some of the villagers,
was that the cult groups measure their strength by the number of their
opponents killed and buried in the Igwebuike forest. Many were of the
opinion that some young people who had gone missing without trace, may
have disappeared into the Igwebuike forest.

The story pointed out that, members of these cult groups would
escape whenever they sensed any threats to their lives. As a result of
that, anyone left at home on the fateful day would bear the brunt. “These
boys are sadists, their utmost joy is to see the heads of their fellow
human beings severed and their skulls used for drinking, only they can
tell what type of drink,” one of the villagers who did not want his name mentioned told South-East Voice.

Mr. Ogbuji, the chief priest told South east Voice that because
some elders in the community were against their activities, some of them
were being haunted for saying the truth. He said, “I am from same
family with Stanley Eluwa who was murdered. I could remember that I had a
problem with this secret cult members. It started when I paid them a
visit and asked them questions on why they should kill their brothers
and sisters in the name of cultism.

“I asked them why they would pursue us out of the village,
something which we did not do to our forefathers; something we did not
do as young people? Do you know that after advising them to stop the
killings, the different cult groups started planning to kill me. They
made several attempts but they did not succeed.

“Let me tell you, they also killed a chief priest from Obitte,
who was advising them to stop the killing of their own brothers. The
name of the man killed is Sunny. Because of all these evil things
happening, before you come to this area, you get prepared.”

However, the story would not have been complete without the gallant
efforts of the Imo Police Command led by the Commissioner, Mr. Chris
Ezike. On his assumption of office, he promised to fight against cultism
in the state through what he described as community policing. To
achieve this, the commissioner declared war against activities of
cultists in the state.

The commissioner said: “The peace and tranquility we have
witnessed in the past two months can only be attributed to the high
profile arrests and recoveries the command has made within the period
under review. We will continue the all out offensive against criminals
through intelligence-led raids, cordon and search, diligent
investigation of arrested suspects and successful prosecution of cases.

“We shall continue to be more visible at black spots, strategic
junctions, public places and commercial centers. We shall also pay
special attention to general and specific security of Imolites from the
diaspora who have returned home to enjoy the yuletide. The
banks/financial houses shall also be our top priority.”